Need some advice on learning networking

[bsm2]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

scan to email protocol for IT tech

regular account or gmail account...?
ssl or tls?
will the customer supply an email address or will you be required to generate your own?
if it is an email service like aol/aim or one provided by their internet provider inform the customer that they may view scanning as spamming and block the account...
best for this purpose is gmail but turn on less secure app settings...
(note if you create the gmail account and do scan without turning on the less secure app settings you may brick the gmail account for scanning and have to create another one)

also keep in mind that not all copiers support ssl from gmail... sometimes you might need to use tls the 587 port but there are days when that does not work... for that you might need stunnel... to act as a go between if stunnel is not working email is dead...

now if everything works and one day scanning stops
possiblities...
1. email account deleted...
2. email account is full...
3. the scanned document is too large
4. email no longer supports scanning
5. internet connection dead
6. scanning blocked by firewall
7. my favorite... password changed on the email account used for sending scans... generally thats the case...
8. sometimes you get dns issues... which means dns has changed for some odd reasons... power outage... new internet service provider... they changed the network from a 10.x.x.x to 198.x.x.x or something like that and all settings have to be reentered on the copier...

Never create or use your own email account period.
Customer must provide you with the account.
No account no setup period.
You should Always use the clients email.

[copiertec]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Never create or use your own email account period.
Customer must provide you with the account.
No account no setup period.
You shoild Always use the clients email.

Setting yourself up for a lawsuit using your own email account.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

scan to email protocol for IT tech

regular account or gmail account...?
ssl or tls?
will the customer supply an email address or will you be required to generate your own?
if it is an email service like aol/aim or one provided by their internet provider inform the customer that they may view scanning as spamming and block the account...
best for this purpose is gmail but turn on less secure app settings...
(note if you create the gmail account and do scan without turning on the less secure app settings you may brick the gmail account for scanning and have to create another one)

also keep in mind that not all copiers support ssl from gmail... sometimes you might need to use tls the 587 port but there are days when that does not work... for that you might need stunnel... to act as a go between if stunnel is not working email is dead...

now if everything works and one day scanning stops
possiblities...
1. email account deleted...
2. email account is full...
3. the scanned document is too large
4. email no longer supports scanning
5. internet connection dead
6. scanning blocked by firewall
7. my favorite... password changed on the email account used for sending scans... generally thats the case...
8. sometimes you get dns issues... which means dns has changed for some odd reasons... power outage... new internet service provider... they changed the network from a 10.x.x.x to 198.x.x.x or something like that and all settings have to be reentered on the copier...

I've had quite a few customers that changed their password for email. Yesterday, I started using a remote desktop service (Splashtop) so that I can remotely log in to their computer and correct the problem. Huge time saver. Anyone else do this?

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Okay, I need some guidance, please.

I'm not looking to be able to design a network or set up a server. That's not my goal. It would be nice to know but I'm never gonna do that.

All I want to be able to do (right now) is to troubleshoot ANY problem when I'm trying to set up a copier and the associated functions.

For example: I know there are smart switches that can be configured to block certain things on individual ports. I have a couple here in the office and I've played around with them before. I know you can apply rules to the modem that could cause problems. And then there's firewall settings. Are there any other potential pitfalls that I should be aware of?

Last but not least, I'm gonna get started on wireshark this weekend. Can someone give me a couple of real world situations that they've encountered where wireshark was able to pinpoint the problem?

[DFM914]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Wireshark is a very useful tool. Of course you don't want to walk into your customers site and just run it without their knowledge, learning to filter traffic between the IP of the device and the destination IP will help just see that traffic (such as SMB scan from copier to PC) The larger the network the much larger amount of packet traffic you will see so that is why learning to filter traffic is a good idea. Another DOS command is "whoami" which can help you determine what user is logged into the PC you are on.

[bsm2]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Okay, I need some guidance, please.

I'm not looking to be able to design a network or set up a server. That's not my goal. It would be nice to know but I'm never gonna do that.

All I want to be able to do (right now) is to troubleshoot ANY problem when I'm trying to set up a copier and the associated functions.

For example: I know there are smart switches that can be configured to block certain things on individual ports. I have a couple here in the office and I've played around with them before. I know you can apply rules to the modem that could cause problems. And then there's firewall settings. Are there any other potential pitfalls that I should be aware of?

Last but not least, I'm gonna get started on wireshark this weekend. Can someone give me a couple of real world situations that they've encountered where wireshark was able to pinpoint the problem?

Never needed to use wireshark just the basic command tools, always ask if they have IT should your run into trouble as there is NO way to know how a client has setup their network. IE sonic wall , email spam filter etc....... Normally Shit works but you always can run into weird shit get with their IT.

Always check with their IT before installing driver or giving IP address to copier to see how they want it setup. Some installs we do everything some installs we touch nothing on their network and guide their IT on setup.

No IT then you use best practice to install

PS usually only Enterprise size companies lockdown their networks with managed switches
IE colleges Banks Government etc.....

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Last night I was learning about DHCP. I've known for a while that DHCP automatically assigns the IP address for computers and other devices on the network, but I never knew how it worked. From what I gather, in small offices the DHCP server is usually found on the router. In larger offices they may be using a DHCP server.

I go into my router settings just to take a look and I see that I can limit the range of IP addresses used for DHCP.

Here's my question: When installing a copier, should I use a static IP address for the copier that is outside of the range of addresses that are used for DHCP?

That may be a dumb question but I had to ask.

[bsm2]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Last night I was learning about DHCP. I've known for a while that DHCP automatically assigns the IP address for computers and other devices on the network, but I never knew how it worked. From what I gather, in small offices the DHCP server is usually found on the router. In larger offices they may be using a DHCP server.

I go into my router settings just to take a look and I see that I can limit the range of IP addresses used for DHCP.

Here's my question: When installing a copier, should I use a static IP address for the copier that is outside of the range of addresses that are used for DHCP?

That may be a dumb question but I had to ask.

Usally do an ipconfig /all and add 50. I have my usual 192.168.1.150 or 180 so its not in any conflict with other devices and run a ping to see if address is available. Some companies will assign a range for their printers.

Always good to pick a new ipaddress and not use the same as the copier you are replacing do to driver issues
wrong print driver can print 100 pages of Crap

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Usally do an ipconfig /all and add 50. I have my usual 192.168.1.150 or 180 so its not in any conflict with other devices and run a ping to see if address is available. Some companies will assign a range for their printers.

Always good to pick a new ipaddress and not use the same as the copier you are replacing do to driver issues
wrong print driver can print 100 pages of Crap

Add 50? Not sure what you mean. Are you saying add 50 to the IP4 address?

[bsm2]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Add 50? Not sure what you mean. Are you saying add 50 to the IP4 address?

Yes 50 but I have my favorites
You can use whatever you want.
The reason you don't want to use the ipadress it pulled from DHCP is a power failure a pc can select the same ipaddress as the copier and you have no printing or other weird problems.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Yes 50 but I have my favorites
You can use whatever you want.
The reason you don't want to use the ipadress it pulled from DHCP is a power failure a pc can select the same ipaddress as the copier and you have no printing or other weird problems.

I think I understand. I watched a video on YouTube and here's the way he explained it:

If the DHCP range is 192.168.1.0 -- 192.168.1.254, when a computer is placed on the network for the first time, the DHCP server will assign it a network address at the lowest end of the range. In this case the IP address would be 192.168.1.0. The next device installed on the network would have an IP address of 192.168.1.1. In other words, it just counts up from the beginning of the DHCP range.

In conclusion, if the DHCP server does not limit the DHCP range, you need to make sure the IP address of the copier is at the upper end of the DHCP range in order to avoid any IP conflicts.

I think I have that right.

[bsm2]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

.0 and 255 are reserved
Other than that you got it

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

.0 and 255 are reserved
Other than that you got it

Got it. Thanks.

The more I learn about DHCP, the more questions I have.

When the DHCP server assigns an IP address, it has a Lease Time. When the lease time is up, the host can request the same IP address but from my understanding, it may not always get the same address.

If I'm understanding this correctly, that's why a copier should always have a static IP address?

Do I understand that right?

[DFM914]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

DHCP is fine as long as the customer has IT Support to do a good DHCP reservation for that device. Some companies I have helped have ALL of their devices DHCP but keep a very detailed DHCP reservation list. Otherwise I would always recommend static especially if they have no IT Support.

[bsm2]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Got it. Thanks.

The more I learn about DHCP, the more questions I have.

When the DHCP server assigns an IP address, it has a Lease Time. When the lease time is up, the host can request the same IP address but from my understanding, it may bot always get the same address.

If I'm understanding this correctly, that's why a copier should always have a static IP address?

Do I understand that right?

Yes but some Enterprise clients can reserve an IPaddress using a dhcp reservation using the MAC address of the NIC card in that case you would leave it on DHCP and the machine would always get the same ipaddress